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Chapter Fifty-Five

I n the ensuing couple of days, despite enjoying their new comfortable surroundings, Mackenzie realised there was still no end in sight. He had a bizarre feeling about their new situation, like he was trapped in a halfway house. Halfway to civilisation and halfway from the brutal jungle they’d left behind.

They would need to start moving again soon but seeing how much Abi enjoyed the security of the buildings and the comfortable bed made the decision even harder.

The windmill provided an abundance of water, and he boiled away any impurities. To his delight the tins of food were perfect to eat, and Mackenzie whipped up some delicious meals. The dingo showed itself on a few occasions; however, it seemed unperturbed by their presence and kept out of their way.

On the fourth day in the ghost town, they sat on the pub veranda watching the sunset when Abi turned to Mackenzie with a serious look in her eyes.

“I think we need to get going soon.” Her voice was tainted with awe and fear.

“What’s wrong?”

“Give me your hand.” She reached for him.

Placing his hand on the side of her swollen stomach, he felt a hard lump and gasped as fear gripped him. “What’s that? ”

Abi smiled, knowing. “It’s our baby’s foot.”

Tears sprang to his eyes. “Oh, wow.”

She unbuttoned the miner’s shirt, and the outline of the baby’s tiny foot was visible beneath her stretched skin.

“This is amazing.” Mackenzie touched the heel of the foot and it moved. Laughing, he gently prodded again. “Does it hurt?”

“Not at the moment, but it does sometimes.”

“How much longer do you think we have?”

She shrugged. “It’s hard to tell, but given my size, I’m guessing about a week or two.”

He reached for her hand and as the sun blazed into the red dirt in the distance a tight knot turned in his stomach. It was obvious no one had been in the town for over a decade, and it made no sense to stay and wait for a rescue.

Mackenzie nodded with conviction. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

He squeezed Abi’s hand as the blackness of night consumed them.

Mackenzie insisted they abandon most of their equipment, choosing to take just one backpack with water, food and a few other essential items and they set off before dawn.

He felt like this was their sprint to the finish line. They started with a spring in their step, hand in hand joking about the first thing they’d do once they were rescued.

“Have a cold beer.” Mackenzie chuckled.

“Eat a whole box of chocolates.” Abi laughed.

But the end of the road didn’t materialise. The sun beat down with relentless force and Mackenzie mixed the red dirt with a ration of water to make a thick paste that he applied as sunscreen. Their hopes were crushed over every hill and their endurance diminished with every incline.

The midday air remained still and stifling, and the nights were humid and sticky. They lay in the dirt beside the road each night, flicking off ants and swatting sand flies. After two days and two nights of relentless walking, Mackenzie trembled with frustration as he removed the final bottle of water from the backpack .

How much longer?

Once again, they were trapped and had no choice but to carry on into the unknown. Turning back was at least a two day walk and they wouldn’t make it without water.

Abi’s face was gaunt, and her usual determined look was replaced with one of despair. He’d failed her. But he couldn’t bear losing her or the baby and wouldn’t continue without them.

He’d rather die here beside her than carry on.

She gulped the water with cracked lips, and it took all his willpower to tuck the bottle away without taking a drink himself.

Each step on the slippery red dirt was like walking through quicksand, drawing them into the unknown.

That night they collapsed into a heap on the hot ground and Mackenzie allowed himself a small mouthful of water. His lip split open, and he tasted blood. They had no food and only a third of a bottle of water left.

Tomorrow would be their last day.

But how the day ended was in the hands of God.

As he stared up at the millions of stars, a falling star suddenly dazzled the sky. He reached for Abi’s hand, and she squeezed it in a silent gesture of reassurance.

I love you . He tried to speak, but his throat was so dry nothing came out. He wanted to roll to her, to wrap his arms around her. But he couldn’t move. Instead, he just lay there until sheer exhaustion tipped him into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Abi couldn’t walk. Her legs finally failed her. Mackenzie gathered her in his arms. Tears streamed down his face as he followed the red road that stretched before him like a hideous joke. The sun was painful, and the ground shimmered as black crows cawed in time to his wobbly steps. When he could walk no more, he placed Abi down and collapsed beside her.

He woke at dusk, when the sun was a red slash on the western horizon. He crawled to Abi. His throat constricted as he touched her cheek. She didn’t respond.

“Abi!” He rested his head on her chest and was relieved to hear her steady heartbeat.

A fire burning within him made him get to his feet. He picked her up and strode along the road with angry determination. The blackness of night smothered him. He clenched his teeth against the excruciating pain in his back until his jaw ached.

A light appeared in the gloom, like a distant firefly. He stared at it, willing it to be a rescue party. The light flickered, then steadily intensified and his heart raced.

Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

He stood still, not wanting to blink and then the one light became two.

His breath caught in his throat. A car!

“Abi, we’re saved,” he wanted to say, but nothing came out.

A trickle oozed down his chin—sweat or blood from his split lips, he wasn’t sure which. The car lights disappeared for a moment and then returned, bigger, closer. He couldn’t move. His feet were frozen, knees locked in place.

Like an act in a magic show, the car suddenly appeared, and he was shrouded in a cloud of red dust. Delirious, he heard voices, but couldn’t understand them.

Rough hands relieved him of Abi’s swollen body and then black faces with white eyes guided him into the car. He wanted to thank them, but the words wouldn’t escape from his throat.

He crawled into the back seat, clutched Abi’s hand and lapsed into unconsciousness.